Nutley leadoff hitter Nick Gariano rocked a 1-2 pitch from Montclair's Elliot Gertner to center field as the three base-runners aboard set flight with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

The only question that lingered was whether Gariano's rocket would deliver the tying and go-ahead runs for Nutley or center fielder Brett Cooper would somehow corral it and end a 49-year Greater Newark Tournament title drought for Montclair.

"I dreamed about catching the last out (Saturday) night," Cooper said. "I wanted the ball the whole time. It was a dream come true to see it coming to me."

Cooper steamed forward and snared the nugget before it hit the outfield grass, then he fell forward onto the turf and lay there in utter joy. Or was it relief? Montclair had defeated Nutley, 2-1, snuffing out a seventh-inning rally to hang on and win its first GNT championship since 1963.

"Brett Cooper will remember that catch for the rest of his life," Gavazzi said. So will the roaring Montclair side of the crowd of 1,500 or so.

"He put a good swing on it," said Montclair's left-hander Elliot Gertner, who had shut out Nutley through the first six innings. "I thought it was over on that ground ball, but I just missed it."

Gertner, who pitched a four-hitter when Montclair defeated Millburn in the semifinals a week earlier, limited Nutley to six hits, struck out five, walked one and hit a batter. He out-dueled Nutley right-hander Kevin Garcia (5-3), who allowed two runs on five hits, struck out eight, walked two and hit a batter.

Sam Ackerman delivered a clutch pinch-hit RBI single to score Eli Kashi with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to extend Montclair's lead to 2-0.

Gertner got the first two outs of the seventh and had Nico Mercandante in an 0-2 hole before the left fielder singled through the middle, just past Gertner. John Llano followed with a hard single to right-center, sending Mercandante to third.

Nick Liaci then sent a high chopper toward shortstop that third baseman Mackenze Genauer wisely cut off, but his hurried throw across his body was in the dirt and got past first baseman Jared Berman. Mercandante scored to shave the lead to 2-1 as both runners moved into scoring position.

Jack Kraft, Nutley's No. 9 hitter, worked the count to 3-2 before Gertner hit him with the next pitch to load the bases and bring the dangerous Gariano to the plate.

"I thought it was falling in," Nutley coach Bob Harbison said of Gariano's shot to center. "Gertner was great. He did just enough to win. Garcia battled all the way."

Kashi scored both Montclair runs. He drew a lead-off walk in the second, was sacrificed to second and stole third before scoring when Ben Hamilton looped a single down the right-field line.

Montclair ended a drought that Gavazzi was unafraid of putting in front of his players all tournament as motivation. "We didn't let it get to 50," Gavazzi joked in the post-game huddle.

Gertner faced the minimum number of batters through four innings as he permitted just one hit while frustrating Nutley with well-placed fastballs and curves.

Austin Kunz and Mercandante had back-to-back one-out singles in the fifth and Gariano had a one-out single in the sixth and eventually reached third, but Gertner got out of both jams. He, in fact, struck out Nutley's No. 2 and 3 hitters to end the sixth.

"Gertner showed a lot of guts in the seventh inning," said Gavazzi, who made two trips to the mound in the inning. "He's two types of a pitcher in one. He's crafty, but he's also a bulldog."

The GNT championship is Montclair's fifth in the 80-year history of the event and Nutley failed in its bid for a fifth title.